Down the Rabbit Hole
by Blue-Eyed-Annie
Summary: They needed a child who's disappearance wouldn't be noticed. And when they've almost lost their will, they get their child- a thirteen-year-old boy currently admitted in Fletcher's Home for the Mentally Insane without any diagnosis of a mental disease. As he finds himself propelled into a strange new world of insanity, there is only one question: Who am I?
1. The Madhouse

**I'm SOOOOOO happy to be back! After my other story was deleted, I was in a mini depression... But now I'm ok and I've got a great new idea! Oooh! I feel so bad writing a Mature rated fanfic... :) yeah.. Just giving you a heads up, there's gonna be a lot of Violence and mean words and maybe a little bit of romance (oooooh!) Alright: I don't own Kuroshitsuji, that belongs to the amazing Yana Toboso. All I own is my words and creativity. I won't keep you from the story any longer! **

They had to take children. Children that no one would miss. So they checked their ties for good relations, but the weight of their futility caused them to struggle. But then, they came to know of an asylum. A cruel mental institution where the staff treated the patients absurdly, marking them with years of torture, starvation, and physical and mental abuse. And in this house of terror, there was one child on the list of patients.

They rejoiced as their years of searching, kidnapping, and testing came to an end, this twisted plot finally falling into place like pieces of a broken china plate. And now that the plate was mended, dinner could be served.

* * *

_Fletcher's Home for the Mentally Insane_

_Coventry, England_

_1910_

The old plaster walls of the mad house creaked and crippled under my touch, threatening to crumble to a fine dust like a dam holding back the sunlight for many years. My bare feet were cold against the linoleum floor, trekking over the reflections of the florescent light that hung above me, connecting by not but a few wires. The solitary confinement chambers that I passed were where the criminals were; all of them too dangerous to be allowed the accompaniment of others. The chambers themselves looked like jail cells. Each one was made of a white material equivalent to a chalky marble. The bed was nothing but a mattress without a cover, for the nurses suggest that they might use the blanket to strangle someone or smother them with a pillow. It was absolutely absurd, taking into account the fact that they haven't seen another person in all of their time locked in there.

"Little boy," whispered a raspy, pleading voice. I turned to the cell directly to my left, finding myself staring into the wild eyes of an inmate peering through the small slit in the door that was only the size of a small loaf of bread. I gave her a blank stare. "Come over to me," she urged.

The enigmatic energy of the situation pulled me to her like gravity, pulling me into orbit around a strange new star. I stood on the balls of my feet, standing tall enough to reach her eye level. She slowly forced her forearm between the limiting bars of the slot. I hesitantly slipped my palm into hers, feeling the gentleness of her touch. I heard a quiet gasp echo from inside the chamber.

"Is that you?" her voice quivered. I patted the back of her hand, hoping to signal her in some sort of way that she had nothing to fear. There was a harassingly silent pause between us before the woman spoke again. "That is the first time someone has touched me in four years."

I looked back into her eyes, which were a softer shade of grey. "You better get back, boy," she warned, her old voice still somewhat shaking from our encounter. "You would not want the beast to catch you."

I gave a single bob of my head and released her hand like we were young lovers separated from each other. I began making my way back to the Mental Insecurity Ward, my palms beginning to sweat under the cold air. It was strange how the asylum changed the way your body worked. Once, I was relatively normally. I felt emotions-happiness, sadness, pain, warmth, cold- but now I feel nothing but emptiness and fear. My world used to be filled with sights and sounds which were now replaced by the same bland halls and the screaming of other patients backed by the humming of the lightbulbs. Every once in a while, the lights would go out for a moment and send the entire place into a frenzy. On the days that occurred, one person didn't return to their cell.

I slipped unnoticed passed the night guards and searched the hallway that was too familiar to me for cell number 2673, which I prayed was still slightly ajar as I had left it. When I found it, I slowly pried to heavy door open, trying not to make the hinge creak. There was a small noise, but not nearly loud enough for it to resound in the empty hall. I stepped into the pure, white cell and closed the door with a minute click. I slumped down on my mattress and curled over to face the wall, pretending that I had been asleep the entire time.

I lied there for what seemed like hours until I could see the faintest glimpse of sunlight reflecting off the door across from me, let in by the square, barred window at the end of the hall. I sat up in my bed, creeping over to the door. The door on my cell was almost identical to that of the solitary confinement's, the only difference being my slot big enough to fit my head through, but prevented escape with its steel bars. I used the slot to weave my arm through and pick the lock on the outside with the wire I had found the week before.

The daytime was harder to get through than the night. When it was dark, you could sneak around everywhere and not get caught, but in the day, the halls were swarming with nurses and doctors, carrying you away. It felt like we were on death row. The first time the doctor would come for you, you would take a test. If you passed it, he would come for you again and again until you failed one. Then he won't come for you for a while. But when he finally does, you don't come back. Both patients on each side of me had been disposed of in the last two weeks, filling me with the anxiety that my time was coming.

I spent the first few hours of my morning talking to myself, trying to pass the time. I stared at the same brick on my wall, lazily slathered with clumpy white paint and thrown into place with the others. Being locked up in that mad house felt a lot like that. You were accused of being insane, thrown into a prison and awaited your turn at death. The doctors never even gave us any medicine or tried to cure us, like my mother said they would all those years ago. It was the game they played with us; taking tests on us and experimenting until we weren't healthy anymore. We were their crops and they waited for the harvest.

That day, there was a commotion in the hallway. There was a mess of sounds: the doctor speaking, a pen clicking, pages turning, and two sets of pattering footsteps. Some of the patients looked out their slots, wondering what was going on, but I sunk farther and farther into the darkest corner of the room. As I heard the noises crescendo, I curled into a ball, acting invisible. As the foot prints stopped right outside my door, I could feel their watchful eyes burning into my skull.

They were coming for me.

There was a loud click and the door creaked open, two nurse pattering over to me and taking me by the arms. I hung limply between them, my feet dragging on the floor. "Today, we will run a few tests on you," began Dr. Fletcher in the doorway, his glass-rimmed eyes sending a shiver down my spine. "I'm sure you'll understand why we must go through many procedures. We must know what you are affected by before we can treat it."

But he was wrong. I didn't understand. What was the point of finding out what has altered my brain if they weren't going to treat it anyways? Would they just use it as an excuse to upset my parents and take me away from them forever?

The hallway seemed longer than before. As I was preparing myself for another needle in my arm, I was surprised when the nurses carried me straight past the stairs leading to the basement. My heart beat settled, now that I was sure that I would not get poked and prodded today, I began wondering what they would do to me. Part of me was confused about where I was going, the other part assured me that my destination would be the Killing Room.

But instead of the frightening room with blood-stained walls I had once been in, this room was more like a small office with two wooden chairs adjacent to each other in the center of the room. The walls were still blinding white, but it comforted me to have more open space. The nurses set me down in the chair facing the door, in which I slumped down to about half my size. A few moments later, an unfamiliar man entered the room. He wore a suit like a doctor, a briefcase in one hand and a clipboard in the other. "I will leave this to you, Dr. Wilhem," Dr. Fletcher muttered. He left the room, but not before flashing me an unreadable look.

Once there was no one else watching, the man stared at me with a calm expression. "Hello," he said in a comfortable tone. "My name is Dr. Wilhem."

My menacingly blue eyes locked onto his, causing his facadę of genuine contentness to crack slightly under pressure. I don't return his greeting.

He put down his briefcase beside the empty chair and sat in it, crossing his legs and resting his clipboard on his thigh. "I'm going to ask you a few questions," he informed, taking a pen from his breast pocket and uncapping it. "I would like you to answer these as truthfully as possible."

I could tell he was preparing for the first question by the way he looked up at me with inquisitive eyes. He was younger, more committed than our doctor, who barely even tested us himself. He seemed like God; a force you never saw but knew it was not to be reckoned with.

"What is your name, boy?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

I am silent for a moment, then answer quietly, "They don't allow us to have names."

Dr. Wilhem furrowed his eyebrows and scribbled something on his clipboard. "Do you know how old you are?"

I break my constant gaze and glance down at the floor to begin counting the tiles. "I don't remember."

The doctor seems more intrigued each passing moment, trying to understand my nonsense. "How old were you when you got here?" he asked, trying to get some idea about my past.

"I was ten when I was admitted," I replied softly. "That was December fourteenth, 1907."

Dr. Wilhem was deeply confused by this time. I didn't understand what he had been lost in, for I was speaking as clearly as possible. It was hard to believe that they kept me locked in an asylum and let people like him pass school. "Alright," he sighed, raising his eyebrows while scratching at his paper furiously. "How was your life at home before you got here? Were there any problems growing up? Any traumatic events? Any problems with your parents?" I didn't respond. I twiddled with the arm of the chair, humming a tune that my mother had taught me when I was young. "Hello?" Dr. Wilhem was silent for a moment, leaving me to my thoughts.

After he had gained nothing after several hours of straight questioning, Dr. Wilhem left me alone in the settle environment that the questioning room had proposed. I could overhear him and talking about me in the hallway at some points in their conversation. "I have no idea what is wrong with him," he argued. "No signs of schizophrenia, PTSD," his voice trailed off. "If anything he's got the slightest bit of Catatonia. He's in his own little world."

Their voices quieted down for a minute, before the head doctor replied, "I will contact you when I have a possible diagnosis."

One set of footsteps faded down the hallway. The door was open again and Dr. Fletcher began shuffling toward me, a raged look in his eye. He looked right at me, my body weakening under his gaze. "What on earth is wrong with you?" he growled, taking me by the collar of my oversized white shirt, stained with years of grime and dirt. He roughly pulled me from the chair and paced down the hall, forcing me to try and catch up with his footing. When I noticed he was beginning to veer toward the staircase that led to the basement, I dug my bare heels into the ground, trying to stop him. But he dragged me behind him, my feet burning as they squeaked across the floor.

He rushed down the stairs as I struggled to free myself from his grasp. "Stop it!" I cried, hoping that someone would hear me. But even if, no one would help me because I was a mental patient and I was out of my mind. But in this twisted society, they had the wrong people behind the bars. When we finished our descent into darkness, the doctor threw me on a cold, metal table and slammed the doors behind him, locking them. I lied on the table trying to catch my breath. He leaned over me, buckling the tight leather straps around my wrists and ankles. "Please," I whispered, my voice airy and quivering. "Please don't do this."

Dr. Fletcher took off his glasses and placed them in the breast pocket of his lab coat. "I _will_ find out what is wrong with you, boy," he said, his voice flat. "Even if I have to kill you to do so."

**Like it? Hate it? I'm sorry if this is kind of long... That first chapter always is! Alright, after I've got up chapter two I will be accepting comments about suggestions, because one must always think of the readers!:) oh yeah and next chapter it gets insane. Bye!**


	2. The Garden

**Alrighty, chapter 2! Well, as I reminded you, things get kind of crazy in this chapter, so if you need any thing explained, (especially later) comment a question and I'll try and answer it as soon as possible. Only don't ask too many questions b/c I'll tie those in later ;) alright, so, Kuroshitsuji belongs to the fabulous Yana Toboso and the original story of Alice in Wonderland belongs to the wonderful Lewis Carrol... So 3..2..1..Go!**

The next time I regained consciousness, I felt as if every muscle in my body had been ripped apart. My head was pounding with each heartbeat, an effect of lack of oxygen in my brain. Light slowly seeped into my eyes like waking up in heaven- only this was no heaven. The first thing I noticed was the darkness. The room was filled with evil, impregnable darkness that swallowed the illumination from the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling above my head. The second thing I noticed was that I was sitting in a leather chair and that I could not escape. I attempted to move my arms, only to find that they were clasped to the arms of the chairs with metal cuffs. After several tries I gave up and slumped back into my chair, relaxing my body.

The third thing I realized was that I wasn't alone. As I tapped my fingers impatiently on the arms of the chair, waiting for something to happen, the lightbulb above me flickered a few times before going out. I let out a sharp breath. Now, there was nothing but me and the darkness. But after a short moment, there was a sound that was similar to flipping a large switch and the room came to life with lights.

Surrounding me in every corner of the room was scientific equipment, ranging from thermometers to projectors and screens. Almost directly after the lights flashed on, a tape began to roll in the projector, translating the moving photograph of an unidentifiable body being dissected to the screen. Even though the pictures were not in color, it felt as if the surgery were happening right in front of me, my stomach lurching with every prod. I knew what the patient had gone through.

Suddenly, the scene changes to what appears to be a party. People danced in the tall grass across the screen accompanied by soft, upbeat music in the distance. While scanning the projector screen as the camera panned across the party, I noticed a man and a woman who weren't participating in the event. The pair was very noticeable, taking into account that they wore cold expressions, despite the cheerfulness unfolding before them. They were both watching something in the crowd- I knew this by the way they furrowed their eyebrows and seemed to be whispering to each other, never drawing their eyes away. Who are they? What are they looking at? I could not stop the questions from filling my head. When the lady tilts her head toward the camera as stares at it unblinkingly, the scene changes yet again.

This time, there is a man in a lab coat standing in front of a board. He seems to be speaking very vividly, but there is no sound. He turns back to the board behind him and takes a piece of chalk in his hand, writing five words:

**EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN BRAIN**

The scientist scribbled a crude profile of a brain, dividing it up into sections and labeling them: Amnesia, lack of emotions, catatonia, visual and audible hallucinations.

He turned back to face the camera and raised a finger to us, as if adding something important. He faced the board again and drew another brain, only labelled it "Average Brain". The scientist took his time explaining what he meant by the two sketches, using many large gestures while speaking. But then the tape spun out and the screen was blank.

I sat in silence for a moment, trying to process what had just happened when there was a large click echoing in the room. I looked down at my arms to find that the cuffs were open and I could finally stand up. I slowly slid each arm out of the cuffs, careful not to spring a trap if such one existed. Once my hands were free, I stood up slowly, the blood rushing to my head and filling a vision with colorful dots. My dizziness threatened to ground me, but I steadied myself with the back of the chair and waited until my equilibrium was back in balance.

The floor beneath my feet was slick and dusty, like that of a cellar. I waded through the sea of equipment that surrounded me, searching for a way out. After minutes of digging, I found a thin wooden door, no more than about twenty inches across. I twisted the brass knob, holding my breath. When the door clicked open, I relaxed my lungs, my breath returning to the air.

The corridor outstretched before me was dusty and old, the walls scorched with decay. At the end of the dark hallway, something moved, catching my eye. "Hello?" I called out to it.

The small white thing at the end of the hall turned to face me, its two red eyes boring holes into mine.

A rabbit.

"Wait a minute," I said, as if I truly believed that the animal could understand me. As I approached it, it remained frozen in its tracks, demonic eyes never focusing on anything but my movement. There was a moment when we both stared at the other, wondering what would happen next.

The next moment, the rabbit jumped at me, shockingly large teeth bared at my chest. I quickly took a step backwards, trying to evade the maniacal rodent. When I felt something tug around my neck, the rabbit hopped onto the ground, glancing over its tiny shoulder-blade at me. In its mouth, something shined a dark blue. I frantically pulled at my neck, shocked to find that it was bare and my father's ring was gone. I furiously dashed toward the rabbit, which disappeared down the hall.

As the chase continued and the hall darkened, odd signs began to grow from the demented soil of the walls. 'This way's and 'that way's pointed in all different directions- the ceiling, walls, floor- and over sized plants and flowers withering all around me. I tried to block out the unexplainable phenomenon going on and focused myself on catching the rabbit, but as it was swallowed by the darkness of a hole in the floor. I stared down the dark well, contemplating for a moment. I sighed, realizing that getting back my ring wasn't nearly as important as finding a way out of wherever I was.

But as I turned to walk away, the floor creaked beneath me. I stared down in horror as the concrete crumbled underfoot and I began falling through the darkness.

* * *

When I hit the bottom, I stared up at the large tunnel I had fallen down. I could see nothing but a small spec of light that had once been the world above. I could do nothing but lie on the cold ground, trying to find the wind that had been knocked out of me. I blinked away the water in my eyes, gasping for air like a fish out of water. How long was the fall?

I slowly sat up, looking around this new world. The walls were adorned with colorfully striped wallpaper, which added to the severity of my headache along with the black and white checkered floor. All around the dome-shaped room were doors, each one a different size, shape, and color. I stood up slowly, brushing the dust from my hospital uniform that had gathered on me during my descent. I coughed shallowly at the effort of getting to my feet, but was walking again in no time at all. I decided to go to a large green door first, twisting the slippery doorknob. But to my demise, the door was locked from the outside. I sighed and went to the blue door beside it. This one was locked, also. I tried every door in the room, finding myself back at the beginning of the circle again. But as I tried each a second time, I found a curtain had appeared between the purple door and the yellow door, which I am certain had not been there before.

I bit my lip and drew the curtain, curious to know what hid behind it. Surprisingly, I found another door- a very small one, barely large enough to stick my arm through. I lied down on my stomach to reach it, bending my arm at an odd angle to find the knob. I twisted the small knob with my index finger and thumb, but it would not open like the others.

I rose to my feet, thinking of what to do next when I pivoted on my heels to face the center of the room again. On the small, glass table (which had appeared along with the tiny door) sat a golden key with a strange insignia at the end. I thinking it could be used to open the door, I moved quickly back to the smallest door and sat on my knees, sliding the key into the large keyhole. I felt accomplished when the key clicked and the door flew open. I rested on my elbows and closed one eye, peering through the small doorway. Behind it, it seemed there was an entirely different place. It was an impressive garden, flowers and potted plants neatly grown, similar to those that filled the hallway above me.

The only problem was that I was too large to fit through it. I put the key in my pocket, turning back to scan the room for something else that was useful. It didn't take long before a small vile containing a clear blue liquid was located on the table. I gently picked up the glass bottle and manipulated it to read the parchment tag.

**_Drink Me_**

I knew better than to drink strange, unknown liquids, but at this point, I was desperate to get out. I pulled the cork from the top of the bottle, the liquid sizzling and popping when it came in contact with oxygen. I furrowed my eyebrows, looking it over one last time before squeezing my eyes shut and swallowing it all in one big gulp.

I felt normal at first, but panicked as a tingling numb sensation spread from my head to my feet in minutes. My head began to throb as the striped walls around me grew taller. I quickly glanced down at my hands, which were shrinking at each passing second. Once my clothes had shrunken too much, the golden key tumbled from my pocket, and falling to the floor with a sharp clang. Now that I felt less than six inches tall, I dashed as fast as my little legs could go toward the door that was the telescope into the garden.

Now that I could see just how large and menacing the plants looked from the height, I wished that I could have been larger once I exited this room. I sighed, taking the silence to wrap my brain around this madcap logic. I turned back to the table, circling it many times before finding a small glass box a little bigger than I was at the time. I opened the lid of the box, seeing two square cakes inside. "Eat Me" the icing on it read in long, elegant letters. If this water made you smaller, would this food make you grow? I picked up a piece of cake and held it in front of me, rushing to the tiny door.

As I kicked the door open with my foot, I felt a strange feeling trapped inside my body, like a ghost looming over my shoulder. I glance back over my shoulder, staring at the interior of the room I had just come from. The stripes on the walls had faded in color, the wallpaper peeling and shriveling at the edges. A shiver passed through my body.

I turned my attention back to the cake and said a silent prayer before taking a small bite. The tingling feeling erupted inside of me again and before I knew it, I was back at a normal size. I looked at the now bite-sized cake in my hand and shoved it in my pocket.

I flexed my fingers while strolling through the garden, trying to acclimate to my average sized body. The entire garden had wilted within a few moments of my arrival, a black storm rolling in overhead. The bright flowers were now covered in repulsive, reptilian slime that oozed from their center, the plants growing thorns and trees lost their leaves. I didn't like the eerie feel of the garden, taking each step slowly and carefully. The stone pathway beneath me was jagged and sharp, poking my feet wherever I placed them.

After what seemed like several hours of traveling through this maze of plants and strange oddities, (Including a grotesque combination of a bee and a mouse,) I found myself at a mosaic planter larger than I was, filled with plants hanging droopily in the gray afternoon. Strangely mesmerized by the plants, I reached a hand to touch one. I leapt backwards in shock as the bud protruding from the center expanded fully into a large yellow flower, thorns and nettles adorning its stem. The flower was staring directly at me; I knew this by the human-like eye in the middle of the petals.

I stared in unblinking silence, the blue eye penetrating my soul. "Wake up..." came an echoing, raspy voice.

The flowers around it began to open also, each about eight feet tall, their bright petals erupting into different colored eyes. They stayed completely still, mirroring me. My heart was pounding in my chest, disgust filling my limited space of emotion.

"Wake up, sisters..."

I took a step away from them, finding a dark blue flower at the end hissing at me. "What are you?" I breathed, raising an arm to my face to protect myself.

The flowers looked at each other, the yellow one in the center blinking once before replying, "We are no different than you."

Her voice sent shivers down my spine, like a child crying to its mother. I began stumbling backwards, my gaze never shifting from the distorted figures.

"We are beautiful in this world," a red flower added, its thorny leaves out folding toward me, beckoning me to step closer. I fell to their hypnotizing spell, disregarding my morality and beginning to trip toward them. "Nothing could be more beautiful than us."

Although every muscle in my body wanted to resist the pull, I blindly walked up to them and stopped at the leaves.

"The only thing lovelier," replied the dark blue flower mockingly, "is death."

The leaves flailed, causing me to snap out of my state of hypnosis and throwing me to the ground. I scrambled to my feet and raced away from them, not looking back even once. I knew that if I did, I was sure to be wrapped up in their vines and dragged to my death.

As I ran, tall blades of grass slapped my bare skin, tree and bare bush branches scratching me and ripping my clothes. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears, blood rushing through my veins. What was this place?

I was so focused on evading the flowers' grasp that I was hardly paying attention to where I was going, finding myself lost deep inside a large wooded forest. Several times running through these trees, I could swear that I had seen two young children holding hands, standing around me, watching. I was convinced that I was lost in my mind, a dream created by the doctor that I would wake up from at any moment. I stopped at a tree, hitting my head against it in frustration. "I need to get out," I whispered to myself. "I need to get out of here."

In the dark, monochromatic woods, there was a sudden flash of color- colorful stripes floating through the air. Upon hearing a rustling above me, I inverted my line of sight to the sky, sighing at the sight of a large, crescent moon. I had spent an entire day in this mad universe. But the longer I stared at the moon, the more details I could see, and before long, two green eyes emerged on top of the moon. I tilted my head in curiosity as a color-striped cat crawled down from the tree, its smile wide as can be. I couldn't help but smile at the odd sight. "I didn't know cats could smile."

The cat floated off of the tree toward me, it's eyes softening. "Well, that's because I'm a Cheshire Cat," he replied.

I blinked for a moment, processing that not only could this cat smile and levitate, but also talk.

The cat flexed his claws, stretching out his arms. "I do say, it is such a shock to see you back, Alice."

I gave him a quizzical look. "My name isn't Alice."

The Cheshire Cat disappeared before my eyes, a cloud of chalk being blown away. It reappeared beside me, purring in my ear. "Oh?" he asked. "Then what is your name?"

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure," I answered. "They took it from me when I was first admitted to the asylum."

The cat's ears perked up, his eyes widening. "So you came from an asylum? Interesting."

Cheshire floated up to the lowest tree branch an rested his head on his paws.

"So, where is it you would like to go?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You obviously summoned me for a reason," he purred, licking his paws.

I recounted everything I had done in the past few minutes, and settling on one answer. "I... I wanted to find a way out of here."

The cat wore a hurt look. "Leaving so soon?"

He was drifting past me now. I brushed my dark grey bangs from my face with my fingers.

"Well," he sighed, "if you must, I will lead you to the Mad Hatter. He should know what to do."

I bit my lip. I surely did not want to be in the presence of a madman. What would he be like, compared to the flowers? I waved my hands at the cat. "I don't think I would like meet him," I said, trying to wipe away the option.

"Oh, no," the cat assured. "He is very sympathetic. He should be able to help you. But no matter how mad he sounds, you must listen to all of his words. Understand?"

I nodded to the wildly grinning cat, who pointed out a direction with his tale and sent me off with his luck. I maneuvered slowly through the thick leaves and branches that littered the ground, walking like I was stuck in mud. I kept in the same direction the cat had told me the best I could, glancing over my shoulder every few steps to see the magenta cat shrinking in the distances before fading away into his chalky shadow. I groaned at the thought of being alone again in this crazy world without the accompaniment of the only thing so far that wasn't that disturbing to the eye. His devilish grin_ did_ burn right through me though, feeling like an empty shell after our encounter.

I shook the thoughts of darkness this world had planted in my brain and set my sights on the Hatter. He was my only means of getting out of here alive.

**Oh, you... Cheshire isn't the only thing attractive in Wonderland ;). So I sent this chapter to my sister in college to read over and replied with a text: thanks for taking away my sleep for the next week. XD I love her! Anyways, I finished this chapter very quickly, b/c I have nothing to do, so expect maybe a few days to a week for the next one... Bye bye!**


	3. The Tea Party

**Chapter 3! Woot woot! Alright, so this is where it gets kind of trippy and weird, so, yeh be warned! Also there's some language, far from Care Bears but not quite Pulp Fiction... (yes, I rate my content on movies,) and you finally get to meet more people! Sigh, it's really been great watching this come together. Disclaimer: same as last chapter, don't own a thing! I'm just a lonely highschooler... Anyways, story time! :)**

As the monstrous trees began to fade from a view, I pushed the few remaining branches out of my way. I stumbled out into the bright sunlight, which burned my eyes. I held my hand to my eyebrows to shield the light from my eyes. In the distance, I could hear a song playing, crackled and static. I slowly travelled out into the open field, a wide stone path stretching out in front of me.

As the music gets louder and closer, a long table drape in an elegant silk cloth comes into view with a record play in the center. I wiped my sweaty palms on my shirt, trying to get a better perspective, when I noticed three figures seated around the table. "Hello?" I called softly.

None of the figures moved.

I hesitantly walked closer to them, scanning the table. A polka-dotted teapot sat on a saucer, smoke omitted from its spout. In front of each seat, including the empty ones, sat a teacup and a saucer, none of the filled with tea. "Hello?" I shouted this time, startling everyone seated at the table.

The brown rabbit in a torn up suit was the first to speak. "What da' hell do ya tink you're doin'?" he shouted, grabbing his teacup and slapping it down the saucer. "Can't ya see we're tryin ta sleep?"

I frowned at him, taking a step back. "I-I'm sorry, I don't want any trouble," I apologized.

"If you don't want trouble, then why did you wake us?" the small black mouse asked, who was still resting its head on the table. I winced at its squeaky pitch.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please," announced the dark-haired man wearing a patterned top hat. "That is not how you treat a guest!"

His tone softened. "I am so sorry," he replied looking up at me, his red scarlet eyes reminding me of those of the rabbit. His eyes widened and a smile spread across his lips. "Why, you're Alice, aren't you?"

I raised my hands to wave him off, put he cut me off before I could speak.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place? Have a seat!"

I sighed and pulled out a chair beside him. "Do you by any chance know where I can find the Mad Hatter?" I asked, sitting down.

His smile widened. "Know him," he chuckled. "I am him!"

I gave him an odd look. This man didn't seem as mad as he sounded. I paused for a moment, playing with the handle of the empty teacup in front of me. "The Cheshire Cat said-"

The mouse started screaming and scampering across the table shouting "Cat! Cat! Cat!" until the rabbit trapped her under a teacup

"Sorry," a said, lacing my fingers together and resting them on the table. "The Cheshire _feline_," I corrected, "told me that you can help me get out of this place."

The Hatter rested his face on his hand, tilting his head to the side. "Oh, but why would you ever want to leave Wonderland?"

The disk on the record play skipped, causing a single verse to be played over and over without end. I couldn't think of an answer. "I don't know," I replied, breaking eye contact with him. "I just..."

"Well," he smiled, pouring tea into his cup, "Don't ever listen to anything that thing says because it is an awful little thing and lies."

I stared at his cup, tea running over the edges and collecting in his saucer. "You're spilling tea, you know," I said, not helping but to laugh a little at this strange man.

He looked back down at his teacup, smiling and picking up it up. "Here you can have some."

He poured half of the tea into my cup and passed me a small jar.

"Sugar?" he asked, opening the lid of the jar. A blue, crystallized substance was spread across the bottom of the container.

I shook my head at him. "I don't think that's sugar," I warned.

He stared at the substance, furrowing his dark eyebrows. "I suppose you're right," he sighed, dumping the contents of the jar onto the ground beside him. "So, Alice, how has your day been?"

The rabbit beside me began to snore. I frowned at him, stirring my tea with the small, rusty spoon. "My name isn't Alice," I said quietly.

He leaned in toward me, looking me up and down. "Not Alice, hmmm?"

He took my arms and held them out straight beside me. "Tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?"

I rolled my eyes. "None," I answered.

He nodded his head, then closed one eye and stared at my head through a rectangle he made with his fingers. He then held out my hand and counted my fingers. "By any chance have you copulated in the last five hours?"

"This is crazy," I said, shaking my head.

The Hatter raised his eyebrows and gazed up at me. "Your name is Ciel, isn't it?" he asked.

Memories flooded my brain like a tidal wave hitting the shore. My eye widened. "How do you-"

"Your mother is Rachel and your father is Vincent. You are," he squinted his eyes, staring at my palm, "Twelve? Thirteen?"

I jerked my hand from his grip. "Who are you?" I shouted, standing up from my chair.

He narrowed his eyes, standing up and staring me down. I could feel his breath on my face, a sudden hostile feeling filling the air between us. "You shouldn't wake up," he murmured. "You shouldn't wake up at all."

He sat back down and grinned at me, taking a sip of tea. I took a step back, trying to process what had just happened. "I-I have to go," I whispered.

The Hatter frowned. "Is it that time again?" he sighed. "Do as you must, but you know where to find me."

I gave a small nod before turning and fleeing from the scene. After a few minutes of running, I met up with a familiar rodent, hopping frantically through the ongoing field. I chased after it, the tall grass grabbing at my feet. "Come back!" I shouted at the rabbit, running as hard as I could.

As the rabbit stopped on a tree stump hidden beneath a large ivy vine, I froze in my tracks, staring into its eyes. I bent down on my legs, reaching out a hand to the rabbit. "Give me back the ring," I ordered.

The rabbit took the chain from his mouth and hissed at me before turning and disappearing into the grass. I began to chase after it again, but stopped shortly after, thinking over this day. What was I going to do? I buried my face in my hands, sitting down on the tree stump.

* * *

I wasn't sure how long I was sitting there, but apparently, it was long enough for me to fall asleep. When I woke up, crows were circling overhead, cawing maniacally as they did so. As I sat up, I realized that I wasn't sitting on the tree stump any longer, but something softer. Beneath me, something yawned, shifting around. I gasped and sprang to my feet. "Hatter!" I cried. "What are doing here?"

The man stretched out his body, sitting up and combing a finger through his hair. "Well," he began, " you see, it was beginning to get dark and nighttime around here is very dangerous alone, so I came out to find you."

I scoffed. "Yes, but you didn't have to stay out with me all night!"

He frowned and lowered his voice. "If you knew what went on in here, you wouldn't be saying that."

I stopped for a moment, staring at him. "Why? What is it?"

The Hatter stood up, keeping his eyes on the ground. He kept silent.

I approached him slowly, Looking up at him. "Hatter, tell me what's going on here."

He balled his hands into fists, visually stressed, then relaxed. "Come on," he mumbled. "I need to show you something."

I stood by his side, falling into step with him. I wasn't sure what he was about to tell me, but I knew it wasn't going to be good.

"Alice," he began, letting out a deep breath. "A long time ago, there as a group of scientists. Scientists who wanted to know more about people's brains. These scientists were not good people. They did cruel things to people- unspeakable things- but no one every stopped them."

I could see his expression saddening with each word.

"A few years ago, they had a new idea for an experiment. But this experiment required a young brain, unexposed to any sort of defect. A child's brain. They had to find a child that no one would recognize the loss of."

He stopped walking and looked down at me. "Like a child from an asylum where patients died everyday."

My heart started to pound. What was he saying?

"And when they found their child, they drugged him everyday and he didn't even know it. When his brain had shut down and was running on the drugs alone. He fell into a coma, stuck in the deepest state of dreaming a person could ever have.

"The longer he stays in the dream, the more realistic it gets, and for all he knows, this is the new reality. That's why you can't wake up, Alice," he whispered. "The only thing that is waiting for you up there are doctors looking at your brain."

My face was burning red with anger. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Is this true?" I choked, gripping the hem of my shirt. "Tell me, Hatter, is this true?"

He gave a grave nod, sighing as he did so.

As we continued to walk in silence, I realized a white fog spreading over the entire landscape. We parted the fog as we trekked, the colors of the world fading out into an inevitable, bright nothing. "What is going on?" I asked, my voice shaking.

The Hatter set his jaw. "It appears that we are nearing the corner of your brain," he explained.

I furrowed my eyebrows and but my lip. "So this entire world is in my head?"

"Yes."

I stared at the ground. "Are you just in my head, too?"

"No, no," he chuckled. "Everyone in this world is an experiment. They are watching all of us. It's just that you have the strongest mind, because you are the youngest. This world is in your dream," he explained. "We are all just thrown into it."

I nodded to myself, thinking over his words. "So this entire world is a dream, and in your dream, you are in mine?"

The Hatter tilted his head to the side. "Mostly."

As the nothingness overwhelmed us, we bored on, finding ourselves back at the beginning again. In the distance, I could see the garden that I had first seen when I had just entered this world. Suddenly, a thought hit me and I sprang up.

"My my, what happened to you?" the Hatter asked.

Too anxious to answer him, I raced toward the garden, not stopping until I found the stone path through the hedges. My heart raced as I bounded down the path, practically tripping over myself until I found a the small door I had entered from. I knelt down, reaching for the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Dammit," I cursed under my breath, remembering that I had left the key on the floor inside.

I sat back on my heels, wiping the sweat from my forehead. The Hatter looked down at me, wearing a concerned expression. "Alice," he inquired, "are you alright?"

I bit my lip and stood up. "I'm fine."

Suddenly, a loud crow caws, breaking the silence. We both scan the sky, the Hatter grabbing my collar and slowly sinking behind a bush.

"What is it?" I whispered.

He simply raised a finger to his lips and glanced over the top of the hedge.

"Where are you, little son of a bitch!" shouted a gruff voice, close behind us. His heavy footsteps made my heart pound. "Come the fuck out!"

I tried to keep as still as possible, staring out through a small hole in the bush. Two legs in thick, black pants stood on the other side of the hedge. I held my hand over my mouth, trying to quiet my breathing. But as the legs disappeared, I relaxed for a moment.

"There you are, you little bastard."

My heart stopped as I hand roughly grabbed me by the hair, yanking me from the ground. The Hatter jumped up beside me, about to stop the man who had taken me, but a loud bang resounded in the air, freezing him with a shocked expression on his face. His body crashed to the ground, blood leaking from the bullet hole in his head. "Hatter!" I screamed.

The man wrapped his fingers around my neck with enough force to break a bone. He held my up with one arm, my feet dangling above the ground.

The man's face twisted into a strange expression. "So," he sighed. "What should I do with _you_ now?"

I gasped for air, grabbing at his hand. "Please," I managed to plead, losing the feeling in my feet.

The man gave a strange smirk, releasing his grip. I fell to the ground, taking in deep, uneven breaths. There were black dots everywhere, taking over the world. That last thing I saw was that man looking down at me with a sinister look in his eyes, then the world went dark.

**Ooh! What happened there? I will explain later ;). I love messing with you guys. I've been writing a lot lately, especially because it's the FIRST WEEK OF SUMMER VACATION! Yay! Anyways, don't know where I'm taking this plot OR who this guy at the end is... so if you have any ideas, comment or contact me! So long for now!**


	4. The Duchess

**Well, here we go again! Chapter four and feelin fine! Anyways, I know I'm going a little out of order here with Alice and Wonderland (for those who've read it) but please don't yell at me, its a work in progress! Also expect this chapter to be shorter, since im working on trimming them down so i dong write my entire story in six chapters ;) im writing this chapter WAYYYYYYY past my bedtime, even if it is summer. So if it doesnt make sense, blame the monster that is sleep deprivation... Alrighty then, enjoy!**

When I woke up, the sky was darker than I had ever seen before. I rolled over on my side, wincing in pain. My body was sore all over, making each move feel like my muscles were getting ripped apart. After I had stretched out my sore body, I looked back up at the sky, shocked to find the man staring down at me, the barrel of his pistol pointed at my face. He furrowed his dark eyebrows, setting his jaw.

I watched as he slowly placed the gun back in his jacket, but kept his eyes on my. "Well, you made it through the night," he sighed, "but let's see if you're lucky enough to make to the end of the day."

He kicked me lightly in the ribs, sending an echo of pain through my side

"Come on. We should start walking now."

I sat up as slowly as possible, barely moving. My body tensed up as I got to my feet. I rubbed the back of my neck as it seared with pain. By the time I was at my feet, the man had already started to travel away from me. I quickly fell into step him, staring up at his stern face. "Who are you?" I asked quietly.

The man kept his eyes forward saying nothing for a moment. "That's not your concern."

I gritted my teeth and frowned at him. This man had strangled me, kidnapped me and killed the only person that had really helped me. This least he could do was tell me his name. "Well then," I scoffed, "where are you taking me?"

His lips curled under, beginning to take larger steps. He must have noticed me growing impatient by the way he let out a frustrated breath and glared down at me. "I'm taking you to the duchess," he replied, his voice like a knife piercing my eardrums.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and looked at the ground. I sighed. This entire thing was starting to get to my head. The oddities of this dream were layering one on top of the other, now throwing a duchess into the mix.

We walked in silence through the dark woods, the two children from before continuing to follow us.

* * *

The interior of the duchess's cottage was one large kitchen. The walls were smothered in old food and stained with grease and mold. Pots and pans were flung in every direction from the hands of the madwoman herself. She leaned over the stove in a frantic manner, stirring something viciously in a large pot that was already boiling over. Upon hearing a baby cry in the corner, she grumbled, "shut up," and threw a wooden spoon in its direction. Frightened by this woman's mannerisms, I took a step back, only to be grabbed by the collar and shoved forward.

"Madame," the man spoke loudly over the various thundering in the kitchen. The duchess glanced over her shoulder at us, a wild look in her eye. "I've found Alice."

The woman walked toward me, her tall, thin frame reminding me of a spider. She reached out needle-like fingers and ruffled my hair. "Well, if it isn't my pretty little nephew," she smirked.

I had no idea at the time why she called me her nephew, considering that I had never seen this woman before. "E-excuse me?" my voice was nothing more than a whisper. The duchess whacked the back of her hand across my face with such force that I crashed to the floor. The baby had begun to wail.

"Don't you _ever_ talk back to me," she scolded. "Understand?"

I held a hand to my stinging cheek and nodded obediently.

"Shut up!" she cried again at the baby.

"Madame," I said, trying to sound as humble as possible. "I think there's something wrong with your baby."

She turned back to her cooking and waved a careless hand. "Don't worry about that thing," she insisted. "I never wanted it in the first place."

I approached to small crib in the corner and leaned over the rail. When I had noticed that there was a small _pig _inside that crib rather than a baby, I stepped back and stared at the duchess. Did she know about this?

Just then, a knocking came at the door. "Will you get that please?" the duchess asked, receiving a nod from the man who had escorted me here. He walked swiftly to the door and opened it.

Outside, a man in a green suit handed the man in the blue jacket a formal looking letter. "Give this to the duchess," he explained. "The Queen requests her presence. The man nodded to the deliverer of the message, who parted with a tip of his hat.

"Madame, you are requested before the Queen."

At the mention of her name, the duchess whirled around. "What for this time!" she grumbled taking the letter from the man. She broke the seal of the envelope and took out the letter, reading it over in her head before holding her hand to her mouth and gasping.

"What is it?" the coated man questioned loyally.

The duchess hesitated for a moment, then answered, "I'm being tried for murder."

The man furrowed his eyebrows, genuinely concerned for this lady.

The duchess threw her arms out in a distraught manner, collapsing to the floor. "I don't even know who it is I've killed!"

She buried her face in her palms and began to cry. As the coated man comforted her, I glanced back down at the pig-baby, who had miraculously stopped crying for once. Its dull, black eyes stared up at me, seeming to be in a faraway place instead of reality. Was this place even reality?

There was a clamber of feet behind me, then a loud click, a bullet locking inside of the chamber. I whirled around to see the man's pistol a few inches from my forehead. "We should just kill the bastard now," he growled, his eyes darting back to the duchess. "All he's done here is fuck things up."

There was a moment of silence while the duchess regained her unbalanced composure and sat up a slightly straighter. "I suppose you're right," she agreed, her voice shaky, "but he could come in handy later."

"Oh?"

The man tilted his head to the side, taking back the gun a small ways from me. I let out a quiet sigh of relief to be spared. The duchess made her way over to the man and whispered in his ear farthest from me. When their plan had started to take shape, a devilish smirk crept over the man's lips. He replaced the gun in his coatpocket.

"Alright then, Alice," the duchess said, her voice an icicle hanging from the entrance to the darkest pit of hell, "you may go. But you must return to the Queen's court for the trial."

I bit my lip and stared at the pair. "Why, exactly?"

A smile pulled at her lips. "Because you will be defending my case."

I wasn't sure what was worse: being stuck here forever or defending this terrible woman. I was simply glad to get out of that stuffy house and breathe in air that wasn't coated with the smell of garlic. After the man shoved me roughly out the door and locked it, I stood still for a moment, thinking about what to do next. Once I had noticed a clear river of water flowing past the cottage, I had decided that I was filthy and needed a good washing.

I knelt down beside the river, running the cool water over my arms. I cupped my hands and splashed water on my face,wiping away the sweat and grime. As I looked back into the water, I noticed something dark moving beneath the surface. I leaned in over the water, only to find two hands reaching out of the water. I jumped back on instinct, but the hands caught onto the side of my head and dragged me under.

**SUSPENSE! Heh, I love messing with you guys :). Anyways, like I said, this was a VERRRRRRYYYYYYYY short chapter. I'm so glad this is starting to take shape. Lol, so i had to write part of this chapter on the template gives you, (the box under doc manager) and it kept changing "dark" to "Fuckery" so Ciel was like "There is some Fuckery moving in the water!" hah! Well, talk to ya next chapter!**


	5. The Rabbit

**Chapter five! Sorry this took so long to write, but I was REAL busy and had no time... So I'm writing this all in one day to keep you from waiting. I'm so nice! :) anyways, enjoy!**

The water grew darker and colder the farther down I was dragged, leaving me paralyzed with fear. The arms continued to stretch into eternity, disappearing below the dark, murky water. I was fighting the pressure on the sides of my head, struggling to reach the surface for air. My limbs were starting to tingle with numbness as the oxygen slowly left my lungs. As the water grew thicker, the arms attached themselves to shoulders and a body. I found myself staring into two blue eyes.

The girl who the eyes belonged to scowled at me, running a hand down the side of my face. Her blonde hair billowed out around her, suspended in the water. "You," she whispered, her voice echoing. "You took my name."

I could hear my heart pounding slowly in my head, warning me to reach the surface soon. I tried to push away from the girl, but she kept her grip firm.

"You stole my name!" she screamed at me, shaking me violently by the head. My vision was going blurry, which only added to my dizziness. "Give it back! Give it back!"

She kept shouting those words at me over and over, gradually sending me away from consciousness. After it felt like she had let go of me, I began sinking again, the world growing completely silent. But as something reached down and grabbed the back of my shirt, the familiar noises of bubbles floating to the surface and water getting pushed around seeped back to my ears.

The surface of the water came closer than I had thought, leaving me choking and gasping for air on the river bank. "Goodness, you are tough to handle," came a familiar voice from behind me. I slowly glanced over my shoulder, shocked to find two red eyes staring back at me.

"Hatter?" I asked, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

The man raised an eyebrow to me as he pulled himself out of the water.

"I don't understand," I said, trying to sort out this madness. "You were dead."

He chuckled and combed his wet hair out of his face with his fingers. "You thought that I would be affected by a footman's bullets?"

I gritted my teeth, still confused. I quickly grabbed a small bush and hoisted myself on to the bank.

"Like you, I am a real person in this dream," he explained. "A real person cannot be killed in a dream. Instead, we would wake up, close our eyes, them enter the dream again."

I got to my feet. "You mean, you actually woke up from this?" I knew it was a vague question, but I was hoping he would understand.

He nodded, never breaking his eyes from mine. "There wasn't much to see really," he sighed as he stood up and brushed the grass from his black pants. "Nothing you would have wanted to see anyways."

A few raindrops fell from the darkening sky above and splattered on my face. Not to long afterwards, thunder rumbled across the storm-torn sky. The Hatter sighed and took his arms out of his jacket, laying it over my head and shoulders. I shot him a glance, then frowned. "It would be a shame if you caught a cold," he smiled. He turned on his heels and began swinging his arms as he walked. "Come on then, we better start moving."

I held the jacket on my head with both hands as I ran after him. "Where are we going?" I questioned.

He gave a slight smile. "To the rabbit's house, of course!"

* * *

As we approached the small, wooden cabin, I glanced up at the Hatter and frowned. "Hatter," I began, taking a questioning tone, "back at the duchess's house, she mentioned a Queen of some sort-"

Before I could finish, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared solemnly at the ground. We were both silent as a bolt of lightning rippled across the wind-blow field. "You shouldn't talk about her," he warned, suddenly serious.

I put my hand in my pockets, wondering what was so bad about her that she shouldn't be mentioned. "I'm sorry," I apologized quietly starting to slowly walk again.

He let out a deep breath and continued to the cabin without speaking.

When we reached the small door, the Hatter knelt down to its size and reached out a gloved hand and knocked on the door gently. Before too long, the door was pushed open and we found ourselves staring into the rabbit's red eyes. It stared at me, then sniffled and gazed up at the man beside me. The Hatter wore a wide smile and greeted the rabbit with a warm, "Hello."

The rabbit seemed to smile back, even though it probably wasn't actually doing so. The rabbit stiffly turned around and disappeared back inside the cabin. I tapped my heels against the ground and raised an eyebrow at the Hatter. "So, do we follow him?"

He shrugged and began making his way through the doorway. "It would be safe to think that."

It was quite amusing to watch the long-legged man try and squeeze through the small doorway, but proved the act possible once on the other side. He quickly gestured to me to do the same. I swiftly slipped through the door frame and scanned the small, wooden kitchen-like room of the cabin. It shocked me that a rabbit could use some of the ware in the room, but then decided that it was all borrowed, judging by the state and aimlessness of the objects.

I followed as the Hatter (who was still crouched down with the ceiling barely scraping the top of his head) shuffled down the small hallway toward the spiraling staircase that the rabbit had run up before us. The entire way up, I was searching for any sign of my father's ring, but was disappointed to find nothing that resembled it whatsoever.

When we reached the top of the stairs, we were faced with the doorway to a miniature bedroom, where the rabbit was seated regally on a pillow on the floor. The Hatter some how sat on the floor with his legs crossed and facing the rabbit. "Hello," he greeted again. "I'm sorry that this is so sudden, but my friend needs your help."

To be honest, I didn't know that I needed this animal's help, or what its "help" even was. The rabbit stared at me, hopefully recognizing me from before.

"You see," the Hatter began, "My friend, Alice, has-"

He stopped speaking once he noticed the rabbit crawling toward me, making its way in inches before stopping too close to my face. All I could do was stare into its unblinking eyes while it seemed to be watching a film in mine. After about a minute, the rabbit bounded back away from the pillow and hopped up several shelves on the wall before turning back to me with something in its mouth. The rabbit continued toward me and dropped something that glittered at my feet.

"My father's ring," I gasped, picking up the chain and inspecting it, making sure it was real. "But why did he keep it?"

The Hatter held a finger to his chin and shrugged. "Perhaps there is something that it will help you with later."

I shot him a confused look, which made him chuckle.

"That's what the rabbit does," he explained. "He takes things away from us that we don't think we need, and then reminds us of their importance by its absence."

I sighed and acted like I understood his words, even though they were Greek to me. I quickly thanked the rabbit, which felt awkward on my part, and left for the door as soon as possible. It was like this world was a story written in a nonsensical language that no one could ever understand.

Outside, the rain had strengthened, the storm growing more immense. I bit my lip at the weather and wrapped the Hatter's coat around my freezing body. I glanced down at the ring in my hand, thinking about it for a moment. Somehow, this object could magically help me in the future. I scoffed at the idea at the time, never truly realizing the truthfulness in his words.

**Confused? So am I! This is really getting somewhere now, which makes me happy! :) I'm not sure how many chapters this will end up being... 10+ maybe. I apologize again for the lateness. Anyways, thanks for reading! **


	6. The Queen

**Alright! Well, I really don't have much to say this week except that this thing will probably be 11-15 chapters long which is relatively short... But it WILL be good, I promise you! Enjoy!**

"Why leave so suddenly?" the Hatter asked behind me, slowly taking another step forward.

I blinked for a moment and gazed absentmindedly at the ground before turning to face him. "I'm not sure," I shrugged. "I just needed some fresh air."

He nodded slowly and stepped out from beneath the small wooden plank that jutted out above the door. Rain drops splattered against the top of his head, leaving his black hair streamed with water. He held his hands behind his back and stared out over the dark green horizon. I wasn't sure what he was searching for, and I bet that he didn't either. I inhaled a deep breath, feeling the relaxing oxygen course through my veins. I picked at the unsteady hem of my soggy uniform sleeve. For once, I felt the complete utter lack of thought.

I sheepishly slid the chain of the ring over my head, stiffly tucking it into my shirt to make sure nothing happened to it. I could feel the Hatter's eyes watching me, but chose to ignore them. "This was my father's," I explained, knowing that he was probably already mentally asking about it. "I remember him giving it to me the night I first came to the asylum, although I'm not positive about anything else. I had hardly any memory of my life outside of that place."

The Hatter tilted his head to one side. "Perhaps that is what the ring is for: remembering something."

I bit my tongue and considered this possibility before picking up each of my feet from the muddy ground. They were growing unbelievably sore from being scraped and scratched and treaded on for several days. I took a moment to recount the days I had spent here, but found it impossible, due to the unsteady lengths.

"You look tired," the Hatter said quietly, breaking the silent ice filling up between us. The thunder sounded closer than before. "Will you be able to make it back to the garden house?"

I nodded limply, my eyelids becoming heavier every passing moment. I lethargically dragged myself from the rabbit's house, a weight strapped to every limb. I heard a soft laugh behind me, then found myself off the ground and in the Hatter's arms.

"Maybe it would be best of you _didn't_ walk," he corrected himself, a smile still present on his lips. He began swiftly trotting the never-ending field to the woods that I had passed through ages ago.

The few leaves that remained on the branches were bright green, no doubt reacting to the shock in the air from the storm. There were no familiar bird chirps, no rustling in the distant bushes; only a dead silence that crept from the corners of this place. I remember seeing a few traces of the Cheshire Cat's stripes lingering in the trees, though I never spotted it in its entirety. After about halfway through the woods, a question fought its way to the front of my mind, which I couldn't stop from verbally announcing. "Do you normally hide in a garden shed when there is a storm?"

The Hatter gave a concerned and amused look, then shook his head. "Are you normally this nosy about people's private lives?"

I loosened my arms around his neck and huffed, sticking up my chin. "Yes, yes I am."

He let out a quiet breath, then kept his eyes focused straight ahead of him. "No," he finally answered. "Now that you mention it, we've never had a storm at all until now."

I raised my eyebrows. "Never?"

He shook his head. "If I recall correctly, the clouds darkened up for the first time when you first came into this world."

I could usually find a logical definition for everything that happened, and perhaps that was why being in this dream had thrown me of so much; there was no sense of reason whatsoever. I wiped the water dripping onto my face from my hair with the back of my hand. "Strange."

It seemed like everything was just going wrong when I arrived here. And I suppose it would, since I was the creator of the dream. And how could this dream have existed before I had even known I had created it? This mind-boggling world was too overwhelming for my taste.

As we reached the other side of the woods, the Hatter stared out into the field look a deer looking in the eyes of a wolf. He quickly dropped to the ground, pressing his back against a nearby rock. I grew concerned, hearing his heart beating loudly in his chest. I held my breath, unknowing of the extent that I should fear this unseen danger. The Hatter hesitantly peered out from behind the rock, sighed, and got to his knees, squeezing my shoulder with his hand. "Alright," he whispered, "I think they've gone. We will have to be quick about our business, though."

My eyes darted around the field, but I could see no traces of anyone there at all. "What are you even talking about?" I breathed urgently.

The Hatter scowled and began shuffling out through the tall grass, keeping low to the ground. I followed behind him, mirroring his movements. "The Queen's guards," he replied. "You want to keep as far away from them as possible."

It was a long, nervewracking trip to the garden shed that seemed so close, yet so far away. When we reached the old, wooden door, we inaudibly celebrated our victory and prayed that the door wouldn't creak. When the Hatter eased the wooden plank open, he gently urged me inside, then entered himself, closing the door behind him.

The inside of the shack was dark and damp, no windows or cracks to let light through. The smell of dry soil and musk filled my nose and made my eyes water. I couldn't feel anything around me but what I though the be the Hatter's sleeve. "Are you alright," he asksd almost silently, but loud enough to pause our rigid, uneven breaths.

I swallowed sharply before replying, "Yes, I'm alright. It's just a bit dark."

"You're not afraid, are you?"

"What?"

"Of the dark."

I shook my head, but then realized that it wasn't worth it. "No."

I knew he was smiling. Somehow, I could hear it on his voice. "I didn't think you'd be."

I shifted my weight between my feet, accidentally stumbling in the darkness. My heart stopped in that moment, knowing that if I made a sound, we might have been turned in to the Queen and God knows what would have happened to us then. I was relieved when I was caught by two, unseen arms and only crashed into his side. He let out a long sigh and blindly stood me back up on my two feet.

I could hear him rustling around for something until a small scratch sounded and a flame appeared at the end of a match. Behind the minuscule light, the Hatter's concerned eyes stared back into mine. "Don't worry," he reassured. "They can't see us."

He held the light in front of him as he scanned the shelves on the wall across from me, before finally lighting the wick of a candle and waving out the match. He slowly sat on the floor, facing me, and balanced the candle between us.

"I came here to tell you something," he began tensely. "To tell you about the Queen."

I did nothing but stare in silence at him, shocked that he would actually speak of her. But at the same time, I anticipated him to start talking, hopeful that some of my questions would now be answered.

"A long time ago, when this dream was still being constructed," he began, "All of us that were already here- such as the rabbit, the Cheshire, and myself- had not a care in the world. This dream was actually a pleasant wonderland that we though we would have forever. But that all changed once the Queen came.

"No one exactly knows when or why she came here, but one day, we were up to our eyes in rules, restrictions, and other legal commands. She believed that she would be the most powerful person here. And for a while, she was.

"But then a little girl name Alice came along."

My eyes grew wide. "Alice?" I gasped.

He nodded. "She was a sweet and charming girl. She loved this place like her own home. But when the Queen heard that she might have been the controller of the dream, she had her beheaded."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "But she didn't die, right? She just woke up?"

The Hatter stared at the ground. "I'm afraid not. It seems that the creator of the dream can die in it, because it was under their control."

My heart pounded in my ears. I could die here and not wake up again. But at this point, I wasn't sure if I even _wanted _to wake up anymore.

"Ever since then the Queen has been the most powerful person in this world." he sighed sharply, his serious eyes connecting with mine. "You need to stop her, Alice. You have to."

**Do I smell a plot developing? You tell me! Anyways, I warn you that I think next chapter it goes DOWNHILL like a barrel full of cheese. Why that simile was needed, I have no idea. Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	7. The Storm

**Alright, so like I said last chapter, things downhill from here. Now that we're done with the explaining, things are gonna get serious. LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS TO DEFEAT THE HUNS! Sorry for my randomness, if you sang that I love you. Enjoy!**

**P.s. there is some violence in here, but nothing bad like Kill Bill... Only in there for reasons ;)**

_I was running through the woods, my heart pounding in my ears. I did not know why I was running or what from, I simply remember the Hatter telling me to run. My skin was stinging from the scratches the branches had left on me, but they were the least of my concern at the time. There was nothing in the woods except for me- not even the cat- which led me to think that I wasn't even in the dream anymore. _

_When I reached the end of the woods, I let out a deep breath of relief and slowed to a stop. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't feel the sun beating down on the back of my neck, which raised my suspicions. I cautiously glanced up, shocked to see the world around me had grown dark and only a few stars shown in the sky. _

_I hesitantly stood up and took a few steps forward, observing everything around me. It certainly didn't look like the dream that I had been living in for so long. There was a line of crumbling buildings on each side of me, their walls dark and mysterious. Even though there was no life in the buildings, I felt watchful eyes staring me down. _

_I was too busy taking in my surroundings that I hadn't noticed where I was going and bumped into someone. I took a quick step back on impact, rubbing the side of my head. "Sorry," I apologized, "I didn't mean to..."_

_My voice trailed off as I found myself looking up at the Hatter, or at least someone who looked like him. He stood stiffly like a soldier, his blood red eyes seeming to be filled with anger, though his expression was vacant. _

_I furrowed my eyebrows, confused about why he was here and not behind me. He was behind me when he told me to run, right? I backed away from him for a moment, looking him up and down. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice barely audible. _

_He didn't reply, but reached out a hand toward me, which confused me. I turned quickly in my heels and tried to evade his grasp, but his hand caught on to the back of my shirt, throwing me to the ground. I lie on my back, gasping for air, only seeing him staring down at me."Stop!" I shouted, but to no avail. "Stop!" A blade shone on the inside of his coat, which he took in both hands and raised above his head. "Please don't kill me," I pleaded. He took a moment to breathe out before bringing the knife down toward my chest._

* * *

When I woke up, sweat was dripping down my face and neck, my chest heaving with each gasp of air. I couldn't calm my fluttering heart if my life depended on it. I wiped the top of my forehead with my sleeve, then glanced to my left. The Hatter sat with his eyes wide, arm suspended in the air as if he were frozen. "Are you alright?" he whispered. I combed my fingers through my hair and stared at him. "You kept saying 'stop' and 'don't kill me'."

I shrugged and curled up into a ball, holding my knees tightly to my chest. "It was just a nightmare. I'll be alright. Go back to sleep."

He gave a long, suspicious look before nodding and resting back on the wooden floor of the shed. I held my head in my hands for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. What did this dream mean? I got to my feet and stepped over the Hatter as quietly as possible before pushing the door open and sticking my head outside.

The night air was cool against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. It was strangely cold that night, compared to the others I had spent in the dream. No matter how much I tried to push the possibility out of my head, it felt like the cold meant something.

The usual wind ruffled my sweat-matted hair, giving me a moment of silence to contemplate the important information I had taken in up to this point. I have created this dream for some sort of scientists and as far as I know, I am somehow the most powerful person here, making me a direct target for the Queen. Apparently, there was another Alice before me, another child they used for their experiments. She was killed by the Queen and if the creator of the dream is killed here, they can't wake up from it. I would have to help the duchess be proven innocent in court and kill the Quern somehow. On top of that, I had my father's ring, which would magically help me remember something important.

I sighed. Even though it didn't fully make sense, it was a lot less confusing without all the insane details. I sat down in the tall grass, leaning my back against the outside wall of the shack. Owls hooted mournfully in the trees surrounding me, forming an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It seemed like I hadn't heard an owl in years, which made it hard to recognize at first. Being reminded of something so common that others would simply dismiss always gave me a bad feeling, but this time, I was believing in it a lot more.

Grass rustled behind me- not a single noise, but several, as if there were many people marching toward me. I heard the disturbance in the grass in almost every direction, urging me to go back inside the shack and wait for the noises to leave, but I didn't move a muscle. Emerging from the thick grass, I could barely make out a dark, fabric-like object darting around. In a split second, I was surrounded by men with black scarves around their heads, the points of their swords pointing directly at me.

My heart was beating so fast, I was certain it would jump out of my chest. I was so frightened by this random attack that I realized that I had forgotten to breath and gasped for air like I would never taste its sweetness again. One of the cloaked men prodded me in the back with the edge of his sword, causing my to jump slightly away from him and try to evade the discomfort.

"Well," hissed one of them, "if it isn't pretty little Alice."

I stared at the one who had spoken, confused about how he knew my name, or at least what he thought was my name. "Who are you?" I tried to speak in a normal tone, but my voice quavered and prevented it from growing to anything but a whisper. "What do you want from me?"

"Alice," addressed another, "You mean you don't know?"

He chuckled quietly after speaking, his malicious tone sending a shudder through my body. "We are the Queens guards," laughed a third. "We have to kill you."

I froze from head to toe, remembering what the Hatter had told me. If I died in this world, I wouldn't be able to wake up. I attempted to respond by saying something, if anything at all, but my throat was too dry to create a noise. As the sword-bearing guards closed in on me, I stumbled backwards, causing me to land on my back with their blades pointed at my chest and throat. "Stop," I ordered quietly, but loud enough to be heard. And, as if controlled by a much greater force above, all of the guards froze completely, not even twitching in the cool air.

I sat up slowly, this peculiar idea still on the front of my brain. I curiously reached out a hand and touched one of their scarves, which moved briefly, causing me to draw back my hand in hopes that I would not disrupt their trance. "What is this?" I asked myself dully. But as my hand came in contacted with the scarf again, the guards head seemed to shake uncontrollably from side to side before the skull literally exploded, spraying me with an unwanted layer of blood, brains, and tiny pieces of bone. My heart stopped in that moment, shock overwhelming the fear that I had done such a thing. The heads of each one of the guards around me burst into a fountain of blood, drenching me in only a short moment.

Everywhere I looked there was blood. The vile red liquid covered every blade of grass within about five feet of me. I buried my face in my hands, trying as hard as I could to make this horror disappear, but it all remained. I uneasily removed a large chunk of a brain from the front of my shirt, and planned to wipe it off, but I could do nothing but stare at it.

There was a small creak behind me which got my attention. I whirled around, finding myself staring into the Hatter's wide eyes. His expression was unreadable, although it most prominently stood out as a mix between confusion, betrayal, anger, and disgust. He opened his mouth to say something, but kept silent, making him look like a fish. "I did this," I answered weakly, realization still a freash concept in my mind. "I killed these people."

The Hatter relaxed a little before reaching out a hand to me and pleading, "Alice, please."

I took a step away from him, hoping not to kill him too. My mind was racing, so many ways to handle this and no matter what, I always seemed to choose the wrong ones. With out thinking, I stiffly replied, "I have to go," then pivoted on my heels and began running away from him.

I had no idea what I had just done, but I knew that it I was now a threat in my own eyes. That was the first time I had seen anyone die right in front of me; not to mention it was at my own hand. I was truly disgusted with myself, and I couldn't hurt anyone else, ever if it meant seclusion myself from the rest of the world.

I kept running and running until hot tears blurred my vision and streamed down my cheeks. My feet had gotten caught in the grass, which led me to trip and fall face-first into the ground. I would have gotten up and kept running, but my limbs were heavy and were magnetized to the ground. I tirelessly rolled over onto my back, my arms and legs flailed out around me, and stared dizzily up at the sky. I couldn't be around the Hatter anymore. I couldn't hurt him.

**Well, well, well, Ciel~! Things REALLY aren't going your way! *sigh* it sure is nice to see this coming together! Next chapter should be up no later than a week, so hold yourselves together till then! Bye!**


	8. The Caterpillar

**Oh my gosh**** it is sooo scary right now~! It's been raining for about an hour and theres a bunch of thunder and lightening and it's shaking our house... The power has gone out so I'm writing this on my phone and the sky is yellow! Freaking out! So if that comes across in my writing I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I can do to keep my mind off of the weather. **

I sunk lowly into the mud that had created from the current storm above me. Thick raindrops stung my skin, leaving a numb feeling throughout my body. Surely, the blood caked on my face and hands had been washed away long ago, but the empty feeling remained. The dark clouds above my head were moving as if their motions were exaggerated and sped up twice their speed. I didn't want to be alone out here, but I knew it was the way things had to be.

As much as I didn't want to focus on it, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had done earlier. How could I have Killed all this people if I hadn't done a thing? Was I naturally a threat to everyone? The Hatter would probably know. But even then, I couldn't go back to him. If it was my fault that he got hurt again, I would never forgive myself. I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes._ The Hatter._ What did he think of me now? He was most likely furious with me. I saw it in his eyes.

I brushed my wet hair out of my face and sat up, taking a look around me. The storm was picking up again and it wouldn't be safe to be out here when it hit. I got to my feet right as a bolt of lightning struck the sky, confirming my suspicions. I turned my back to the lightning and raced off in the other direction, hoping to find someone who could help me. The rabbit's house is this way, I thought, perhaps he will let me in. I sighed and slowed my pace. Not if he knew I as a killer.

I wanted to curl up in a ball and give up, no matter how hard I tried not to. I had reached a breaking point with this place and couldn't wait any longer to leave it all behind. I stared up at the charcoal sky, wondering what was up there, beyond the clouds. Probably nothing but two people in lab coats prying at my brain.

I willed myself to keep traveling in the direction of the rabbits house, even though it seems like eternity until I found it. It came into sight as a small light in the distance, then slowly became more detailed, until it resembled itself as a small house. I let out a deep breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding and made a mad dash toward the door.

I knocked frantically at the wood, my heart sinking when no one answered. I banged on the door again, this time saying, "Please, Mr. Rabbit, it's Alice!"

I sighed and seemed to sink beyond recognition. I leaned around the house, trying to see through the window, but the only light on the second floor had gone out.

I threw my back against the outside wall and closed my eyes, frustrated and tired. The winds blew furiously around me, practically knocking me over. I nervously scanned the surrounding area for some sort of shelter. The only object that came into sight was a single, large mushroom not too far from the house. I glanced at the approaching storm and decided that this was the best time to run. I dashed toward the mushroom faster than I had ever run before in my life and sunk beneath the covering of the cap, resting my back against the stem. I wrapped my arms around my body for warmth and curled up into myself. For one moment, everything was good.

* * *

I wasn't sure what time it was when I had woken up, but the sky was lighter, even though it was still scattered with clouds. Little drops of water fell from the rim of the mushroom, reflecting a sparkle of sunlight back in my eyes. _Sunlight. _It had been so long since I had last seen it. I slowly make my way out from underneath the mushroom and stare up at the sun, letting its warmth shine through me and absorb all my fear. There is no more Queen, no more dream, no more scientist; just me and the sun.

I wiped the sleepiness from my eyes and turned around, only to find myself in a state of shock. On top of the mushroom, a large, plump caterpillar was sprawled out, a thick cigar in its mouth. "_Excuse _me," he slurred, breathing out a puff of smoke. "_Who_ are _you_?"

I was so absorbed in the sight of his green, blue, purple, and red skin that I almost forgot to answer him. "Oh, I'm sorry," I stammered. "My name is Alice."

The caterpillar gave a skeptical look, then inhaled another breath of tobacco. "Is that _really _your name?"

I though over his words for a moment, then replied, "No. I suppose it's Ciel, then."

The name the Hatter had called me felt foreign on my tongue. The caterpillar's legs moved in a slow ripple, like a wave washing up to shore. "_Ciel, _is it?"

I nodded.

The caterpillar leaned in toward me and let out a cloud of smoke in my face, causing me to choke roughly as the fowl gas burned my lungs. "You seem _unfamiliar _with that name," he hummed, taking the cigar from his mouth and holding it weakly in between two feet. "Tell me, why don't you _know_ that name?"

I shrugged, his lethargic tone of voice taking effect of my brain. "I'm not sure."

He scoffed, tilting back toward the mushroom. "Perhaps you should find out, _Alice,_" he warned. "You never know when you'll need _evidence."_

I furrowed my eyebrows at the insect's nonsense. "What do you mea-"

"If you are to go to court," he interrupted, "it shall not be for the _duchess_ but for _yourself_."

He took another inhale of his cigar and blew it out between his lips, making five rings of smoke which spouted in to the air like a chimney.

"I will ask you _again_," he sighed. "_Who _are _you?" _

A light wind blew behind me, urging me to look back, disappointing me when nothing was there. "I don't understand," I stated bluntly, turning back to the caterpillar. But the colorful insect was gone, the mushroom vacant except for a tiny envelope lying in the center.

On reflex, I picked up the envelope and turned it over, finding the word 'Alice' written on the flat side. I dug my fingernail under the flap and gently tore it open, careful not to disturb whatever was inside. I took the paper from the envelope and unfolded it, starting the letter from the beginning.

_Alice: _

_You have been requested to court by her Royal Highness the Queen, on behalf of the Duchess of Durless on November 5, 1910. If you are absent, the court will be delayed for November 13,1910 or the accused will be found guilty. _

_Written 11/2/10 by the Ace of Spades as dictated by The Queen _

My heart was pounding in my ears. I needed to find someone who knew the date. I automatically raced towards the rabbit's house, letter in hand. I banged on the door as heavily as I could, tapping my heels on the ground in anticipation. When the door finally opened, I got down on my knees to the rabbit's size. "Do you know what day it is?" I asked, panting.

He stared at me for a moment, then scampered away back inside the house. He came back with a thick book filled with loose pieces of paper and flipped to about halfway through the book. When he had opened to the correct page, he pointed to a date with his nose.

November 5, 1910

**Well, Ciel's screwed. Really. And I guess some of you out there are enjoying that ;)Remember, remember the fifth of november! (sorry couldn't help myself :) Bye!**


	9. The Castle

**wow! I'm getting soooooo close to finishing! Weve only got about four chapters left! I'm really sad though. This was a good story and will forever be missed :"( anyways, enjoy!**

I froze dead in my tracks, unable to process my shock. How would I get to the Queen's court, much less defend the duchess? I had no idea about the details in this case besides the fact that she murdered someone and she claims she is innocent. I stared blankly at the ground, unable to move. After what seemed like an hour of thinking through anything that would help me in my situation, I managed a nod to the rabbit and turned my back to the door.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I needed the Hatter. He would surely know what to do, even if I didn't. I sighed and kicked the ground in frustration. There was no way to avoid trouble. If I didn't show up, they would find her guilty and if I went, they would find her guilty. They would probably sentence me, too. Why did I care so much about her anyways? I hardly know her, besides the fact she was summoned to court and she thinks I'm her nephew.

I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands, trying to find some sense of reality here but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think over the empty feeling of nervousness in my stomach. What was I going to do? I didn't care if there was nothing outside of this dream, I wanted to wake up and leave all of this behind.

I almost jumped out of my skin as I felt a hand on my arm. I jerked up and let out a small shout of shock. But as I saw who was standing before me, my heart began to pound harder than before. I shook my head and brushed the hand off of my shoulder. "You shouldn't be here. You should've stayed away from me."

The Hatter stared at me with wide eyes, drawing his hand away from me. "I can't just leave you," he said, his voice a low whisper. "We both need each other if we want to make it out of here alive."

I bit my lip and stood up, taking a few steps back from him. "You don't get it," I argued. "I'll kill you if you continue to follow me."

The Hatter shook his head and gave a breathy sigh. "No, you won't," he said firmly. "It wasn't your fault. It was just a slip-up, alright? You have more power than you think."

I closed my eyes and turned on my heels to leave him, but he caught me on the shoulder and stared back directly into my eyes, filling me with guilt. "Hatter, I have no idea what I did back there, but I don't want to do that again."

The Hatter knew he wasn't getting to me, but he still tried to persuade me into letting him stay. I did not plan on giving in, unless he wanted to die. I had no more words to argue against him with, leaving me distressed and unexplained. There really wasn't anything I could even think of describe what I was feeling, much less verbally explain it to someone.

After a long moment of silence between us, I slowly unraveled the crumpled letter in my palm and handed it to him without saying anything else. He opened the letter cautiously, glancing up at me every now and then. I watched as his eyes darted across the page, rereading each word over and over again. He gripped the note in his hands and raised his absent gaze to meet my eyes. "What are you going to do?"

I let out a short breath. "I have no idea."

We were both silent, thinking of what to do and waiting for the other to speak. Sure, I didn't trust myself, but I needed some sort of direction.

The Hatter pulled a pocket watch from his waistcoat and clicked it open, staring quizzically down at the face of the clock. He breathed quickly and snapped the watch closed. "Well," he sighed. "We better get a move on, shall we?"

I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't seriously going to walk up to the queen and try to win this case? I stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then let out a deep breath and decided that this was my best option.

* * *

As we approached the looming castle, a strange feeling came over me, spreading through my veins. I was nervous out of my wits, knowing that one wrong move could destroy everything. We ducked behind the hedges surrounding the castle like a gate, waiting for the other to move. The Hatter let out a low sigh and began making his way to the opening in the hedges. I shot him a confused look and stumbled after. "You're not seriously just going to march in there," I hissed.

He stood straight up and adjusted his coat. "Do you have a better idea?"

I furrowed my brow in protest, but gave in and joined him by his side.

We quickly entered from between the two hedges, following the stone path down toward the front door. A row or soldier-like figures lined each side of the path, seeming to stare us down. Each one wore a vest with the symbol of a playing card on the front. They held a staff at their sides, staring blankly ahead. I didn't know if they were real or statues, but they were best not disturbed. I stiffly walked up to the door, thoroughly checking for any sort of traps. For being a castle of a hated queen, there wasn't much security.

The Hatter shrugged and knocked on the door, only for the statuesque guards to wake up and turn their staffs toward us in a threatening manner. "Who are you!" shouted one.

I glanced at the Hatter, then replied, "I'm Alice. I've been requested to defend the duchess in court."

"Who's the man with you?"

I thought for a moment. "He is a witness," I lied, receiving a cautious nudge in the back from the hatter.

The guards stared at each other, dissecting my story. The guard that had spoken before gestures to the door. "The court begins in thirty minutes. It's best you go in now."

I turned on my heels, thanking God that we had arrived in the nick of time. I reached for the brass handle and pushd open the heavy door, being automatically enveloped by the bright lights within the castle.

**Well, Ciel, you made it to the castle but what are you going to do...? Sorry for such a long wait, but I've been busy stressing over current concept art that has to be done by this week and working with this shitty engine! (It's for this college program, I'm trying to get into video game development, btw) but its great to have found some time to write! Bye for now!**


	10. The Trial

**Hello! Well, the next few chapters are going to be super filled, so please bear with me. I just finished all of that college crap for now, so I'm gonna be writing as much as possible the next few days! Thoroughly enjoy this chapter!**

The interior of the castle reminded me of that of Buckingham Palace, due to the tall, cavernous ceilings and wide hallways. Three glittering chandeliers lined the ceiling down the hall, lighting the wide open space and reflecting off the marble floor. At the end of the hall sat a large throne, occupied by a woman in a large, red gown. I glanced at the Hatter, who gave a single, small nod of his head, careful not to draw too much attention to himself.

I began to walk down the hall, my footsteps muted by the thick carpet below. There was a sort of tense energy in the air, emitted from the suspicious glances of he card men surrounding the queen. I thought for sure I would shrink under the pressure, dissolving into the air before I reached her.

But I made it to the end of the hall, silently celebrating. Behind my left shoulder, the Hatter placed his hand over his chest and bowed. "Your Majesty," he said calmly.

I mirrored his movements, hoping not to disrespect her in any way. "I'm here to represent the duchess in court," I added quietly, trying to sound as formal as possible.

The Queen gave us a disgusted look, her blue eyes boring holes into my head. "Oh, _you,_" she sneered. "She's up in her room. The Ace of Spades will lead you to her."

She narrowed her eyes.

"But the man stays here."

I shot the Hatter a concerned glance, which he waved of with a shake of his head. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

I didn't agree to leave him, but I knew it was no good arguing with her. A guard similar to the ones outside the palace stepped down from beside the Queen and turned to the staircase to the right of the throne. I obediently followed the card man with the feathered hat up the stairs and down a hallway with walls laced with intricate gold designs. He stopped in front of a door and took the keys from his belt, unlocking it. He opened the door and turned to leave. "Thank you," I said quietly, only receiving a begrudging stare and then left alone.

I slowly entered the room, careful not to disturb whoever was inside. It was a mess, with clothes and blankets lying everywhere, accompanied by the occasional piece of paper. The duchess sat curled into a ball in the corner of the room. "Excuse me?" I called softly.

She stared at me from over her shoulder, then went back to her original position. "You actually came," she mumbled, unaware that I was truthfully going to help her.

"Yes," I answered, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

She sat up straight, turning to face me. "You don't get it, do you?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and sat on the bed across from her. "What do you mean?"

She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. "When someone is convicted of a crime, they don't get a fair trial. If the Queen decides they are guilty, then they are sentenced.

I furrowed an eyebrow. "That's not fair," I commented.

The duchess silently stared up at me with longing eyes, mentally asking for help.

"Tell me everything about this case," I ordered. "_Everything._ And please tell the truth."

* * *

By the time the court rolled around, I was on pins and needles. It turns out that the duchess had really killed a prostitute, some Kelly. She was Kelly's doctor, and since she was pregnant she was thinking about getting an abortion. Since the duchess was unable to have children, she wanted her to be more appreciative of her child. I knew it was no reason to kill someone, but I had to somehow make her look innocent.

I played with the ring around my neck until the Queen appeared behind the stand across from me. I stared up at her, then back at the duchess. She gave me a silent nod, sending me on my way. She slowly picked up the mallet and hit it against the small wooden plate. "Court is in session," she announced. The room quieted down as much as possible and the Queen cleared her throat. "The accused, Duchess of Durless, is charged with the murder of prostitute Mary Jane Kelly. Our evidence found at the crime scene will now be presented."

A man with the Ace of Hearts on his vest stood up, showing and telling about how her tools were found, she didn't have an alibi, and so on. It wasn't solid at all, but it was enough against her. "The victim was found with her uterus and unborn child removed from her stomach," the Ace explained, a disgusted look on his face. "The only person with the skill and motive to do this would be the duchess."

"So, Mr. Alice," she said alluringly. "Is your client guilty of this crime?"

I paused for a moment, knowing that it was no use lying. "Yes, she killed her."

A sickening smirk crept across her lips. "So she is guilty?"

"She is not guilty of being convicted," I replied, shifting uncomfortably.

Her expression dulled. "Do explain."

"She never wanted to kill anyone, nor did she mean to. It was an accident. She was just trying to make people stop taking children for granted."

"Oh, please," the Queen scoffed. "You don't expect me to fall for your little sob story? I should double the charge, knowing she prevented a child from being born."

I balled my hands into fists at my sides. I was truly angered at this woman and her biased rules. My boiling hatred for her grew bigger with each passing second.l I couldn't contain myself. Right before she was about to bring the mallet down on a guilty charge, I shouted, "Why is she any different from you?"

The row of card men surrounding the Queen stared at me, shocked. I was shocked myself.

"Why is she any different from you," I repeated, quieting my voice a little. "If _you_ were to murder someone, they would be called a criminal for something that you can think up. If the duchess killed someone, _she_ would be the criminal. It's just the way you work to be that perfect person everyone loves."_  
_

The court was silent. The Queen was gripping the edge of the podium, biting her lip in a wildly angry manner. She finally raised the mallet above her head and slammed it against the stand shouting, "Off with their heads!"

"What?" I gasped. I was shocked, even though I knew it was inevitable. The card men spilled over the wooden pew, their staffs raised. I tried to push the duchess away from them, but the caught me and grabbed me by my arms. "Run!" I shouted to her.

She stared at me for a moment, then dashed to the door. I tried to fight the guards, kicking and shouting. But right at that moment, I got an idea. It wasn't a good one, but it might work. "Stop!" I shouted forcefully. "Stop!"

Surely enough, everything around me froze, and the room was dead silent. I freed myself from the immobile card's grips, getting back on my feet and keeping my eyes diverted toward the ground. I couldn't have what happened before repeat itself. I quickly shuffled out the door that the duchess had disappeared behind. But as I left the courtroom, I found the duchess frozen in the hall, surrounded by guards. As much as I wanted to help, I had to find the Hatter and get out of here.

I began racing down the foreign hallways, looking for any sign of the Hatter, shouting his name, but couldn't find him. It must have been about an hour before I gave up and sat on the bottom step, my face buried in my hands. I just wanted to get out of here.

"_What_ are you_ doing?" _asked a familiar, slurring voice.

I looked up to find myself staring into the eyes of the caterpillar. I shrugged and threw my arms down at my side. "I don't know."

"Well, then," he replied. "Answer this question: _who_ are you?"

I let out a deep breath. "I don't know anymore."

The caterpillar eyed the ring around my neck. "Perhaps _this_ is when that _ring_ will come into play."

I furrowed my eyebrows and stared at the shiny silver band. Maybe it was worth a shot. I slipped the chain over my head and hesitantly put the ring on my thumb, waiting for something to happen.

And it did.

**CLIFFHANGER! And I feel so bad about it :) I thank all of you for sticking with me this far and all the support! Next chapter should be up in a little while, but I'm not sure when... I'm out!**


	11. The Ring

**Alrighty, boys and girls! We're coming down to the nitty-gritty now, so hang on! i've got a lot to cram in here and a short amount of time. I'll probably be writing this in the next hour because that's the only amount of life left on my laptop and i cant find the charger... so i won't waste anymore time, enjoy!**

The moment I slid the ring onto my finger, foreign memories smacked into my brain like a tidal wave, leaving me stranded out at sea. Everything that I had forgotten since I entered the asylum was now miraculously remembered. My name was Ciel Phantomhive. I was thirteen years old. My father was Vincent and my mother, Rachel. My parents admitted me to a mental institution when I was ten. I had a dog named Sebastian. I didn't go outside often because I was a sickly child. I had an aunt called Angelina. _Angelina Durless._

I felt sick to my stomach. The duchess_ was_ my aunt. I stared blankly at the floor, holding the sides of my head with my hands. A pang of guilt stabbed my heart like a dagger. The people here weren't as mad as I had thought. I suddenly snapped up to my feet with a fowl realization. I stared directly at the caterpillar, now making his way up the steps one by one in a lethargic manner. "Do you know where the Hatter is?" I ordered in a voice that didn't sound like mine.

The caterpillar thought for a moment, then inhaled a breath of smoke from his cigar. "I _do _ believe that he would be kept in the _dungeon_ for the time being."

My heart leaped into my throat. "The _dungeon_?" I repeated quietly, trying to push out the negative thoughts that invaded the corners of my mind.

The caterpillar gave a slow nod of his head, then pointed to the ground with his first four feet. "I _suggest_ you go _now_ if you don't want those _guards _ to catch up with you."

I responded with a silent nod of my head and turned to the bottom of the stairs, dashing down to the marble floor. I quickly slid around the corner and raced as fast as I could for an ominous-looking staircase that led downward into the floor. My heart pounded as I flew down the spiraling stairs, skipping several at a time. When I reached the bottom, the air was cold and damp, taking it a moment for my lungs to adjust. I glanced around the poorly lit underground prison, the only light barely reflecting off the stone walls from a torch beside me. I grabbed the torch from its position on the wall and hesitantly crept through the darkness.

I silently held the flame up to different cells, trying to see if any of them were inhabited. To my dismay, many of them only included a dusty skeleton in shackles or a rotting corpse already half-devoured by the rats that still currently feasted. I held a hand to cover my mouth and nose, hopefully blocking out the foul stench. In a last attempt to find the man that had helped me through this insane nightmare, I checked each cell again and called his name in hopes that I had skipped one accidentally. But the mental realization that I was alone had finally hit me, forcing hopelessness upon me.

But soon after I had checked the cells for the third time, A glowing white ray of teeth floated toward me. Two emerald eyes appeared in the darkness above it, staring back happily at me. "Hello, Alice," the cat purred, its body swiftly coming into view in a single movement.

I let out a quiet sigh. "My name is Ciel," I replied.

The Cheshire cat rested his head on his paws and continued to grin. "It's good you finally resumed your identity."

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused about how he knew that Alice wasn't my name. I figured it was no use asking, because I would probably receive some nonsensical answer. "Where is the Hatter?" I asked instead, glancing over my shoulder at a sudden rustling noise. It turned out to be the rats scampering across one of the corpses. I looked back and the cat was gone, only a puff of smoke in its place.

"Dammit," I whispered under my breath, waving the torch around to see if I could find the cat. I let out a low sigh and headed back to the stairs, my head hanging low. I had to find the Hatter and get out of here. Those were the only things that mattered right now. Disappointed, I trudged up the stairs back up into the daylight. When I reached the top of the stairs, I dug the flame of the torch into the ground, putting it out immediately. I rested it against the wall on the top step, then brushed the menacing hair out of my face. I stumbled back around to the front of the main staircase to the right of the throne, where I had last left the caterpillar. I found him still scaling the stairs, having advanced four or five steps since I had left for the dungeon. "He wasn't there," I breathed angrily.

The caterpillar glanced at me, then took another breath of his cigar. "Why do you _care _about that _madman_ so much anyways?" he slurred, exhaling the smoke in three distinct rings.

I thought over his words for a moment, unable to respond. "I..." I began, but was caught up thinking what to say next. "I don't know. I just... do."

The wise insect was silent, nodding his head as I spoke. "_Well_ then," he sang, "where do _you_ think he is?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, thinking. How did he expect me to find him when I'd searched the entire castle before hand? I shook my head and took a step away from the caterpillar. "I don't know," I answered dully. "I don't know."

The caterpillar scoffed and turned back to the current struggle of the stairs in front of him. Frustrated and upset, I let out a deep breath, throwing my hands down at my sides. "You _need _to _think_, Alice," he ordered firmly. "_You_ control this place. _You _can find him."

I buried my face in my hands. This dream had gone beyond confusing now. What was I supposed to do? I turned my back to the stair case and rushed to the courtroom, hoping that I could find some answer there.

Inside, the scene was still frozen, nothing moving or speaking. The guards still raced for the place I had once stood, their bodies stopped in time. Several more rushed out the back door to pursue the duchess. Even one of the card men's staffs was paused in the air, as it was probably being dropped at the time. I quickly grabbed the stiff, fabric uniform of the closest guard to me, raising him to my eye level. As if listening to my mental will, the guard snapped into reality, grabbing at my hands for release. "Where is the Hatter," I demanded, staring directly into his eyes.

"Th-the top floor, the interrogation room," he stammered, trying to fight my grasp. I let go of him and he froze in his current position, beginning to fall back to the ground. I pivoted quickly on my heels and dashed for the main staircase, ignoring everything else besides the fact I had to get to the top floor. I raced around the slow-moving caterpillar, and up several painstakingly long flights of stairs before there wasn't another one in sight.

The top floor was a dome-shaped, circular hall with several doors branching off from it. In the inner part of the hall was a balcony that looked down to the foyer. The height of my standing place caused an empty feeling in my stomach and a sudden nervousness. Without a second thought, I scanned all the doors, knowing that I probably wouldn't like what was behind any of them.

Following the feeling in my gut, I hesitantly reached for the knob of the door third from the right. I brought my hand back to my chest and said a silent prayer before throwing the door open.

I let out a shaky breath, scanning the room. The Hatter lied face down on the floor, one arm beneath him and the other thrown out in front of him. Two guards stood at the door, a third standing above the Hatter. The guard wore an angered expression, his mouth agape as if he were shouting.

I slowly made my way to the center of the room and knelt beside the Hatter. I reached a hand out to him and softly nudged his shoulder. "Hatter," I whispered. "Hatter, please wake up."

I grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over onto his back, my heart pounding in my ears like a train rattling against the tracks. I stared down at his face, his eyes closed and expression calm. "Hatter, wake up," I said as firmly as possible, but unable to stop my voice from shaking.

His blood red eyes snapped open and he gasped for air, choking after each breath. I let out a sigh of relief and combed a finger through my hair. "Alice," he said softly, staring at me in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in court," I answered. "I'm not sure what I did, but seemed to have frozen them."

I blinked twice before adding, "And you don't have to call me that anymore."

He let out a chuckle. "_Ciel, _then," he corrected. "I knew you had it under control."

I stood up slowly, holding a hand out to him. "And what of the Queen?"

The Hatter took my hand and got to his feet. He gave a small frown and furrowed his eyebrows at my question. "Is she still in the court room?" he asked, lowering his voice.

I shrugged and stared up at him. "I think so, why?"

He quickly grabbed my sleeve and headed toward the door. I dug my heels into the ground, forcing him to stop.

"What is it?" I asked in an inquisitive tone. "What's going on?"

He succeeded in dragging me to the door, but turned back to face me before leaving. "If she is still alive, we can't leave," he said, his voice suddenly serious. When he turned back to the door and stepped out into the hall, we found ourselves face to face with two vicious blue eyes.

Before I could even think, the Queen lunged at me, the glint of a silver dagger catching my eye. The Hatter had pushed me out of her path as much as possible, slamming me against the railing of the balcony. My vision was blurred on impact, causing colorful dots to invade my sight. I looked around for any sight of the Hatter, but found none. My eyelids began to sag, a sudden wave of restlessness overcoming my body. The Queen leaned forward toward me, a mad smile twitching nervously on her face. "Goodbye, Alice," she sang, laughing hysterically afterwards. There was a split second when it felt like I was floating, but then tumbled back to the ground.

**ooh, okay, that was a little unexpected /:] (that's my concerned smiley) this was kind of a boring chapter then BOOM! I didn't plan on writing this, but it happened, so I'll leave it :) I don't know when I'll put up the next chapter, but it should be sometime this week. **


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